Useful Tool or Weapon of Mass Destruction?

Not for the first time I am struck by the differing attitudes between Canadians (at least some of my close relations) and Americans (at least most of my friends).

At a birthday party for my father (Happy 75th, once again, Dad), I hand him my pocket knife to open the packing tape on his birthday gift from Mum.

Here is is with a ruler included for size reference.

This knife is a high quality folding pocket knife manufactured by Camillus, back when they still made their knives in the United States. I bought it by mail when I was fifteen and thirty years later it is still as useful as it ever was. For the record, I have used this knife to: open packages; cut fruit, eat steak, turn screws, cut hoses for automotive repair jobs, whittle kindling, and other numerous and all legal actions over the course of thirty years.

About fifteen years ago I was pulled over at the Canadian border for a random check. They found the knife in my pocket and wanted to know "do you have any other weapons that you didn't declare". Canadian law does not define this or any other knife (with few limited exceptions) as a weapon unless carried or used with the intent to harm.

This weekend two members of my family referred to my knife as "the weapon" while it was out for the purpose of package opening.

What is it with Canadians and pocket knives? Apparently anything bigger than the little teeny Swiss Army knife blade is a weapon and anyone carrying it has some sort of issue. My American friends and acquaintances, otoh, would probably assume that if you had a pocket knife it would have a blade length of about 3" and be heavy enough duty to actually use.